Just got into reloading myself.... I reload 45acp.
It costs me $12.99+tax=$14.00 a box for plinking ammo here. Plus, I cant always get the bullet wieght I want and I cant ever get +p plinking ammo.
So I reload. Luckily I share my reloading equipment with my father, so although he reloads different calibers tahn me, we split the costs of tumblers, presses, turrets and things like that.
I have put in $200 in equipment for my half of a progressive press with ancilliary equipment and each box of 50 costs me (88$ for 1000 bullets, 18$ for 1 lb powder, 15$ for 1000 primers, $116 for 1000 +p brass amortized over 7 reloads) $6.85.
Now at $6.85 per box over 7000 rounds (140 boxes) I save a total of $1001.00. After deducting my $200 in equipment I save $800 before I probably have to replace my brass.
The brass is the key. The more you re-use it the more you save. If I used new brass every time I would only save $2.15 a box, not $7.15
Do I shoot more? You betcha! for me thats the whole point. I reload in order to shoot more. I dont spend any more or less particularily. I jsut get to spend more time at the range on the same amount of money.
Is it "worth" it? Well... it takes me two hours of setup, 8 hours of reloading and 1 hour of cleanup to do 1000 rounds. Im slow, I admit. so I make $71.50 (not counting equipment costs) in 11 hours. Hardly a paying wage.
But I get to shoot more, I get to load +P practice rounds, I have the time, and more important for me, perhaps, is that I have a hobby to share with my Dad.
J.T.
As usual, YMMV, FWIW, IMHO and all that
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